Most people are naturally nostalgic — they love any chance to remember the best parts of the recent past, which is why retro home decor is popular with homeowners. Philadelphia is one of those special cities that prides itself on its history and on keeping memories from past decades alive in art and decor. Your living room is the perfect place to display some cool retro decor ideas from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Here are a few ideas for creating a retro feel in your Philly living room.
Shag Carpet
Adding a classic shag area rug will instantly provide a retro look from the 60s to your living room. Shag rugs are commonly made of wool or cotton material that is inviting to your senses both visually and tactilely. You may feel drawn to sit on it and run your hands through the fibers. It instantly gives your room a chic and trendy appeal. Look for a shag rug that is irregularly shaped and matches one of the key shades in your living room’s color scheme.
Wood Paneled Accent Wall
In the 70s, wood wall paneling was extremely popular in homes across America. Pay tribute to this trend from the past by creating an accent wall using wood paneling in your living room. Feel free to get creative and make the single accent wall as unique as possible. Paneling can be hung horizontally or vertically. You can even paint the wood paneling to better complement your decor. Decorate the wall with your most memorable photos, as sort of an “ode” to the past.
Warhol-Style Art
Andy Warhol was considered a major voice of his generation in the 70s and 80s, particularly as related to his genre of pop art. One way to add a retro look to your living room is to find Warhol-style art (whether they’re prints of his work or works by similar artists) to hang on the walls. Look for large, framed artwork that will take up plenty of space so that it becomes a focal point of the living room and a topic of discussion for you and your guests.
Distressed, Simple Furniture
In the 90s, distressed clothing, including jeans, shorts, and flannel shirts, were a major part of pop culture. That idea extended to home decor when distressed, simplistic furniture (particularly wood) became a hot commodity in stylish and then-modern homes. If you want to pay tribute to the 90s with your retro living room, find a simple, decoration-free coffee table, end tables, mail table, and chairs. The more worn and modest the furniture looks, the better.
Let these retro decor ideas for your Philly home inspire and guide you to design your living room in a style that you’ll love. If you really want to create an interesting space, try combining a few different ideas into one room.
Image Source: Flickr/Luci Correia
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